Life got in the way........again.

I've finally been able to get back into the sewing room after many months of not doing much in there.  I was working on a quilt with the jelly roll and cutting my pieces when we received a phone call that my MIL was being taken to the ER, this was the 28th of January.....she passed away the next day.  We were consumed with the details of everything and I just had a hard time getting back in there and especially blogging about the little I was doing in there.  Anyway I worked on the quilt until I decided I needed to make some garments, so I folded it all away in a drawer until the fall!

So now that that is out of the way...I'm heading to Chicago in May for the 10th anniversary PR weekend, my first!  And one of the things that I need are some clothes that I have made.  So I worked on the McCall's pattern mentioned in my last post I think.

I cut out my muslin on Friday and tweaked it a bit, then cut my fabric that I bought last spring from a huge sewing store in the Orlando area that the name has completely slipped my mind.  Here are some pics of me wearing the dress with LOTS of spandex garment underneath :-)!  I may wear this to the luncheon on Sunday in Chicago. 



This pattern was so easy to sew and I may make it again.  The ruching on the sides were the trickiest part of the dress.  The ruching was great on the back but the sides it seemed to kind of disappear once I sewed the stay tape in place.  I used the serger on most of the dress and maybe that is why the sides seams and the ruching seemed to disappear, maybe I cut off too much of the gathering.  I think it looks fine, so I'm very happy with it. 

My next dress project is in the works...the muslin is cut and I'm ready to sew except the long weekend is just about over and work again on Monday.  I'll try to get in there tomorrow after work. 

Until next time.

Check!! Another off the list.....

Finished the purple knit dress/jacket today.  It took me way longer than it should have to sew and finish this pattern.  I decided to pull out the Coverpro to do the neckline/sleeve/hems.  Of course since it had been almost a year since I used it, I had to relearn how to use the machine.  I had a few problems getting the stitches to form correctly, but it will do.  Not perfect but acceptable.   
<> 

I'm planning on wearing this tomorrow, so I'll post pictures.

Next is on to McCall's 6194
- pajamas for my grandson.  I have fabric leftover from his last pair that I'm going to make and another knit that I was going to make for him when I made the last pair.  He has grown so much, that those are way too short for him.

That's all for now...happy sewing!

Plans go as planned!

My plans for the sewing room yesterday came through without a hitch.

1st - the glue stick worked beautifully to get the pattern matched perfectly on the home dec fabric for my SIL.  So that is out of the sewing room and on its way to New Jersey.

2nd - the purple knit jacket came out better than I thought it would.  The sleeves are bit short, but I usually push my sleeves up on knits anyway. 

I think the reason I think it looks better is because of my new serger.  The finish on the edge for the collar and front is so much better looking than the last one I did with the gray.  I put purple wooly nylon in both loopers and changed the differential feed to N, used only the left needle, and used a small stitch width and a tiny stitch length, one click up from the satin stitch length.  Here is a close up of the finish on the edge.

That is it for now.  The purple dress is next on the plan of action.

A New Year......2011

Gosh, the last year went by so fast!  I didn't get to do near as much in the sewing room as I had planned, here's to hoping 2011 will get more projects started and FINISHED!

First of all here is the finished Mama's Boy Quilt that I started back here. 

Backing

Backing and binding..all machine stitched



Quilt front - my first machine quilted quilt using free motion quilting

And here are a two items that I scored as Christmas gifts that were sewing related!  A Moda jelly roll

And my quilting group had a gift exchange and I received this fat quarter bag that was made using 6 fat quarters. I have the pattern but now I don't need to make me one! There is even paisley fabric in this....

For now I have my dress and jacket cut out.

 I'm using this pattern McCall's 5890

 which I have made before here.  That version is now too large and can't be altered to fit because of the depth of the armholes.  So I'm making again in a smaller size and I already knew what alterations I wanted to make to the fullness of the skirt.

 The serger is all threaded with the purple thread and is ready to sew.  But first I have to get the home dec fabric sewed together for my SIL. 

I had some trouble getting the patterns to match at the seams, so I've had to get some fabric glue and I'm hoping this does the trick.  The fabric seems to be an open weave and even using the walking foot, the pattern goes out of wack towards the end of the seam.  Fingers crossed that the glue does the trick. 

And of course I HAD to buy a new pattern This is from the McCall's Spring 2011 book.  I have several pieces of knit that I want to make either a dress or a top.  So the plans keep going!  I'm really going to try to NOT buy any fabric for quite some time since I have a LOT in my stash and it is time to use it up.

You will notice a link on the side to MPB Men's Shirt Sew Along...I'm not participating by sewing; only by promoting and reading all about it.  It should be a good read as Peter always adds a bit of humor to his sewing as well as some wonderful insight.

Bye for now so that I can try seaming the home dec, here's to hoping the glue works so that I can move on to the purple dress!

Christmas Sewing or lack there of!

Just an update.  I've been sewing, just nothing worthy of posting pictures of.  I made 4 stockings to hang on the mantle and they came out OK, nothing too special. 

I have my Mama's Boy quilt all layered and pin basted.  It is ready for the quilting part....scary!  I also have the purple dress all cut out and the serger is threaded and ready to go.  Before I can get in there to work on those items, I need to get into the guest room and prepare it for Christmas guests.  My daughter and my grandson are coming in on Thursday and leave next Monday.  Then my brother and sister-in-law are coming in on Tuesday next week and leaving on New Year's Day.  So.....if I don't get to get in there to sew tomorrow, I won't get to until next year.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Finished with Thanksgiving Weekend PJ Sew Along

I didn't get to spend all day in the sewing room today, only a few hours.  I did finish the PJ's ---and they are VERY bright!!

I totally forgot to mention that I made a tote bag from this pattern last weekend.

Here is the finished bag --- shhhh....it is a Birthday present for my sister!!!

Tomorrow is Christmas decorating day so I won't get to sew much, if at all.  Maybe I will get to cut out my deep purple knit dress and jacket during the week and sew a bit next weekend.  Until the next time.....

After Turkey Day Sewing

I got to spend the ENTIRE day in the sewing room!!!  That hasn't happened in a very, very long time.

First I finished the pajama pants

for the PJ Sew along with Ann from Gorgeous Fabrics.  (Thank you Ann for starting this sew along...I needed the push to get these PJ's made since I had originally cut them out in September of last year!!)  And then I started on the top, but stopped for a bit to let the collar cool on the tailors ham before I attached it to the neckline of the PJ top.

So I made this - a thread catcher with a pin cushion attached.  A practical bit of sewing.  Then I got back to my PJ's and this is where I left off for the night. 

Tomorrow after I go to Weight Watchers, nail appointment and then to buy groceries for the week...I will attach the cuffs on the sleeves, the pocket, the hem and then the buttons and buttonholes.  I should finish by Sunday.

Wednesday night I re cut the PJ's from the Large that I had original cut back in September 2009 to a Medium, but after trying them on...I think I could have cut the Small.  Oh well, they will be extra roomy and comfortable for sleeping and lounging around in.

For the next project after the PJ's are finished I have a deep purple stable knit that I will make another dress and jacket with.  I made this same pattern here.  I LOVED this dress and jacket and wore it many times but when I was putting all my summer clothes away last weekend and pulling the fall clothes out, it was too big and I wasn't going to be able to alter it to fit..at least the dress.  I probably could wear the jacket but the dress armholes were too big along with the rest of the dress.  So I decided I would just make a new dress and went to Hancock's the other day.  It is actually the same knit I used on the grey dress except it is purple.  I know how well this knit washes and dries, so there will be no surprises.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!